Breaking the news
by paxbanana
Summary: Measure Each Step side-story - Katara returns to the South Pole for the first time after being with Azula. She wants to tell her family the good news, but things don't go as planned. Katara/Azula


Aang was the last person Katara expected to see as she stepped off of the Fire Nation steamer that had brought her back to the South Pole. Despite (or maybe because of) the bad way they'd parted, she was happy to see him. He had grown up just in the months that they'd been apart, and he was as tall as Sokka now.

He was welcome. She'd missed her friend while she was away; maybe she'd missed him longer than that because he wasn't much of a friend when he was trying to be her boyfriend. She'd missed him much the same way she'd missed her home. She gave Aang a welcoming smile as she stepped back onto the South Pole shore. Katara didn't expect Aang to pull her in for a hug. She'd wanted to greet her family first.

She also didn't expect Aang to pull their bodies flush together in a less-than-chaste embrace.

Apparently Aang the friend hadn't come to see her. Aang the expecting lover had. Even though she'd broken up with him half a year ago! Her pleasure at seeing him melted into ire. How in the world could he think she would want him to do this?

Katara pushed him away but didn't have time to say anything as Sokka seized her up in a crushing hug. Gran Gran seemed so small in her arms, but she was a solid, welcome presence. Hakoda drew her close too for a warm hug that drew tears to her eyes. Even severe Pakku gave her a smile and a stiff but gentle hug.

She had so much to tell them. She was so happy about it. She didn't know how she could say it: _Azula is wonderful, and I think I've fallen in love with her, and she's taught me so much about myself_. She wanted them to know how happy she was. She wanted them to share that happiness.

And then Aang stepped into the cluster of her family and grabbed her hand with a wide smile. Behind her anger with him, she was discomfited. It had been hard enough dealing with him when she'd first broken up with him. She hadn't expected to have to do it twice.

"Hey, we have a surprise for you!" Sokka said. He practically yanked her across the ice towards the village. It was a relief when Aang dropped her hand.

Katara looked across the bay and took in the differences from the last time she'd been here. With the help of Pakku, they moved the village farther off the bay. There was more space on the bay and more space for the village, which had doubled in size since the war. Katara happily greeted her friends and family as Sokka dragged her through the new village.

He stopped in front of an igloo and motioned. "Tada!"

Katara looked from Sokka back to the igloo. She ducked into the entry and gasped in pleasure. It was her own hut! And then her pleasure crashed into uncomfortable anger. The furs that were her bed had obviously been slept in. Aang's clothes were spread across the floor of the hut, and his glider was balanced against the whale rib along one wall.

She hadn't even had a chance to live in her own hut, and he'd moved in it!

Only out of her respect for Aang and their friendship did she not turn around and smack him across the face. How dare he?! What spiritual plane did he live on to think she would ever want this, even if they were together, which _they_ _weren't_!

"Come on!" Sokka steered her back to the village and into a larger igloo that had the marks of Pakku's construction. It was colder in this building, and smoke hazed the air. All of the villagers were able to fit inside, and they passed around food and drink in celebration of Katara's return.

She'd missed her home so much, despite the whirlwind of her time away from the South Pole. Katara couldn't regret her trip, but she was glad to be back.

Not five minutes into the party, Aang stood up and cleared his throat. Sokka began making violent nixing gestures. Katara realized what Aang was about to do and felt every bit of anger she'd felt so far descend upon her shoulders and heat up her chest and face.

He was oblivious. He went on one knee and said, "Katara, these last months have been the loneliest in my life. I never want to be apart from you again. Will you marry me?"

She stood up, clenched her fists, and didn't think for a second about his dignity any more. "How dare you!"

Aang balked, but she was angry he was so surprised. She was so angry she didn't think about the fact that the igloo had gone dead silent.

"I broke up with you, you idiot! Why would I want to marry you?!"

"But I thought—" He had the nerve to look wounded.

"I said I didn't want to be with you, Aang!" she shouted.

"You just needed time—"

"I found someone else!" she screamed.

The silence was palpable. Everyone was holding their breath. Katara was too angry to be embarrassed by her announcement. Aang's expression began to shift too: into anger. "You cheated on me?!"

"It's not cheating!" she shouted. She gestured as she spoke. Her voice was tight. "I broke up with you. I went to the Fire Nation. I found someone else."

"Who?!" Aang gasped.

"That's none of your business!"

"Was it Zuko?"

"No!" she shouted.

"Who was it?" Aang was shouting now.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Tell me!"

"_Azula_!"

Katara saw her father's face go white. Sokka heaved a strangled gasp behind her. And now the embarrassment came...and with it, sorrow. She'd wanted to tell them so badly so they would be happy for her. This wasn't the way to do that. She hesitated, trying to think of something to say to make them understand, but Aang distracted her entirely.

He started to laugh. "Two girls can't have sex," he said.

Katara's rage returned ten-fold. How could he have so many past lives, have seen so much of the world, and still think that? Katara's anger stemmed not just the fact that Aang could dismiss her relationship with Azula like that but also from the chauvinistic egoism of that statement. Never in her life would she have thought Aang could be so sexist.

She spoke before she even realized what she was saying. "Azula and I manage to be together as lovers a hundred times better than you and I ever did!"

Aang went white.

Katara immediately realized what she'd just admitted in front of her entire tribe. She retreated from the igloo and strode across the snow, blinking back tears of anger and embarrassment. She couldn't believe this! She'd been so happy to come back home again, so joyful about her news, and Aang had ruined it all in a matter of minutes. Oh, no, she'd said that in front of _everyone._ She wanted to go throw herself into the bay in mortification.

Katara stopped inland from the village. Crunching footsteps sounded behind her.

"Go away, Aang!"

"Whoa, cool it. I'm pretty sure Aang's foot is so far in his mouth he won't be walking anywhere for a while."

Katara whirled on her brother. Sokka had his hands up, and his smile was gentle. "So, um, before you kill me, I just have to clarify something. When you say Azula, you mean the creepy, crazy, homicidal princess of the Fire Nation that tried to kill us all more than a few times? The one with all the blue fire and lightning?"

The injustice of his words upset her. "She's not like that, Sokka. She changed; she's so good and sweet."

"Good and sweet," he echoed incredulously. "Well, okay. If you insist. But we are talking about the same person?"

Her face tightened as she tried to hold in her tears. Sokka held out his arms. "Hey, I'm not criticizing. She is pretty hot. Bad-dad-bum!"

She collapsed in his arms laughing. Her laughter turned to tears.

"Does she care about you?" Sokka asked after she'd calmed down.

Katara wiped her eyes. "I know it sounds crazy, but she does. And I care about her. She's so vulnerable sometimes, Sokka."

"And apparently good in bed."

Katara groaned against his shoulder. He squeezed her gently. "Hey, no biggie. You only just announced that your current girlfriend is better in the sack than the Avatar."

She groaned louder. "Not helping."

"You might have taken ten years off of Dad's life. Did you see how white he got?"

Katara's eyes filled with tears again. Sokka lost his smile. She looked at her brother. "Are you disappointed?"

Sokka heaved a sigh. "You know, things don't work out like we plan them to. I was totally going to run off with a beautiful girl in the North Pole, and whoops! She's the moon now! And now I have Suki, and I wouldn't trade her for anyone." He patted her shoulder. "You and Aang would have been easier, probably, but it's not worth it if you aren't happy."

She sniffled, smiling despite the disaster of that day. "Sometimes you can be really smart."

Sokka poked her in the shoulder. "Hey, now, that's no way to talk to your big brother."

* * *

A few uncomfortable days later, the captain of the Fire Nation steamer politely knocked on the door of Gran Gran's hut. There Katara sat with her family sharing an awkward meal. Pakku and Gran Gran were quiet. Hakoda was silent in a brooding way, and Sokka tried to carry the conversation for everyone and was failing pretty miserably.

The captain bowed to Katara when he ducked into the hut, prompting owlish blinks from them all. "Princess Azula has asked me to deliver a gift before we sail this evening."

He set down the small wooden chest in his hands. He bowed again. "We will be departing in several hours, but I am at your service until then, Lady Katara."

"Did he just call you 'lady'?" Sokka whispered when the man walked out of the hut.

Katara stared at the chest, for the life of her unable to guess what Azula could have sent her. She also realized that the steamer hadn't just left Capital Bay for the South Pole by chance. Azula had contracted it for her. No wonder they'd let her sleep in a nice cabin in the ship.

Sokka bounced in anticipation. "Can I open it?"

"Now, now, Sokka. The gift is for your sister," Gran Gran rebuked gently.

Katara flipped the latch on the chest and opened it. At the top sat a letter sealed with blue wax. She stared at the seal: a dragon with wings spread. It was so predictable and so perfect. There were a lot of small bundles below the letter, but the letter was what Katara wanted to look at most. She gave her brother a little bit of room to start unpacking the chest as she read the letter.

"Oh, yes!" Sokka gasped. "It's fire berry jam. I love this stuff! And that's dried banana and apple slices. Tea!" He opened the tin and sniffed. He closed it up again and handed it to Pakku, who was a lot more appreciative. Sokka tossed a piece of cloth aside carelessly. Gran Gran picked it up to brush her fingers over it. It was silk, as fine as the cloth that Azula wore every day of her life. Gran Gran had probably never felt cloth so soft.

"Candy. And pickled yams!" Sokka said, hugging the jar close. He pulled out something else near the bottom and snickered. "Aww…she sent you flowers. They're all dried out and squished, but they're flowers." He peeked into the now empty chest. "Where are all the weapons and gory paintings and Fire Nation paraphernalia?"

"Shut up, Sokka," Katara said with a slow smile. She set the letter next to him, and he snatched it up.

He cleared his throat and began to read aloud, trying and failing to imitate Azula:

"'Katara: I hope your journey was comfortable and your stay is enjoyable.'" Sokka glanced at Katara with one eyebrow raised. "Okay, this is a really boring love letter." He continued. "'You are always welcome at Ember Island. I would also welcome any letters you might send. I hope to see you again. Azula.' _Seriously_?"

Sokka flapped the letter, and Katara snatched it from him to smooth it gently between her fingers. He hadn't read it right. He'd missed the hesitation in Azula's characters, the vulnerability in her welcomes that really mean 'please', the need to please she'd hidden in formal words. It was romantic, in Azula's silly awkward way, and Katara loved the unassuming nature of the letter and the gifts. Azula sent them to her not because she expected something in return; she'd done it because she wanted to make Katara happy.

"Well," Gran Gran said. "She sounds like a respectable young woman. When will I meet her?"

Hakoda positively glowered.

-end-


End file.
